


Baby, It's Cold Outside

by heyjupiter



Category: X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, Jewish Holidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-21 23:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjupiter/pseuds/heyjupiter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"It's just, this is my first Chanukah away from my parents. And it's--it's like 90 degrees out."</i>
</p><p>Erik Lehnsherr and Kitty Pryde celebrate a Genoshan Chanukah. It's a little different from the way it used to be in New York, but some unexpected visitors help them embrace the spirit of the holiday season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

  * For [winterhill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterhill/gifts).



> Written for Secret Mutant Madness for winterhill, who requested: "Handwavey fanon Genosha where everyone lives and is happy is in the Southern Hemisphere for this prompt. I'd like some fic or art that deals with the holiday season happening in the summertime. One of my pet peeves is that holiday fests often forget that for some countries December means warm weather, swimming, salads, and (unfortunately) cricket. I don't mind if the mutants are weirded out because they're used to snow, love it, celebrate traditional holidays, make up their own holiday, or whatever, just mutants having fun in the sun instead of making hot chocolate and rugging up. I would be happy to have comics mutants in this prompt, if you want them there."
> 
> As such... this story is set in handwavey fanon Genosha. Shh, don't worry about fitting this into any kind of continuity. Here, have some cocoa. Or some lemonade.

Erik found Charles sitting by the edge of the pool. He had a week-old newspaper on his lap, but he was staring absently into space with a half-smile on his face while most of their students splashed around in the water.

"Oh, hello, love," Charles said, looking up as Erik approached. "What do you have there?"

Erik tilted his head down at the cardboard box and said, "Supplies from the mainland. You ordered Chanukah candles?"

"Seems to me like we burned all the old ones last year. Isn't that rather the point of the idea? Or did you want to use olive oil and hope for a miracle?"

"Well, with St. John here I suppose we wouldn't need either, would we?" Erik said. He set the box down and sat on the chaise lounge Charles had parked his wheelchair next to.

Charles laughed. "Well, it's your holiday, so you can celebrate it however you wish. I just thought you might like the option of proper candles. And I'm sure Kitty would appreciate it as well." Charles reached out and took Erik's hand. "What's the matter?"

Erik had learned, finally, not to automatically respond "Nothing" when asked that question. He hesitated and said, "I suppose it just doesn't feel like December."

"If you ask me, that's the best part about Genosha. No sidewalks to shovel, not even in their winter. Not that I ever did much shoveling, mind."

"I never minded shoveling."

"I believe wielding a shovel requires rather less effort for you than it does for most."

"Thus, I didn't mind it."

"Well, you could go down to the beach and shovel sand if you miss it so much," Charles said lightly. "Anyway, I think tropical weather is a small price to pay for a land free from human persecution."

Erik turned to look at Charles's beaming, tanned face and said, "I suppose you're right about that."

"I'm frequently right, love," Charles said. "Now, why don't we take those candles inside before they melt?"

Inside the dorms, the air was chilly. "You could almost imagine we're in New York with the air conditioner on so high," Charles remarked. "It must be Logan's doing. He hates the heat." Indeed, they found the Canadian sitting on the couch, happily watching hockey in a warm flannel shirt. Rogue, Kitty, and Jubilee were with him, wrapped in blankets.

"Is this really the best use of resources?" Erik scolded. "I'm turning the thermostat back to 78."

"Noo," the girls whined in unison. Logan just glared.

"If you're hot, get in the pool," Erik said. He changed the temperature, then reached out with his power to disconnect the wire that would let Logan lower it again. On his way to the library, Erik turned back and said, "By the way, Miss Pryde, tomorrow night is the first night of Chanukah. If you would like to observe the holiday, I invite you to join me at sundown."

"Chanukah? Tomorrow?" Kitty squeaked. "Oh my gosh, it doesn't even seem like December. Oh my gosh, I gotta call my parents. Uh, thanks, Professor Lehnsherr."

Erik nodded and strode off, joining Charles in the library for their customary afternoon chess match. Charles had a distant look on his face, like he was up to something telepathically. By this point in their relationship, Erik had learned to just ignore it and take advantage of the distraction to defeat his lover at chess.

"Well played, love," Charles said when the game was over. His voice was still dreamy, and Erik decided that enough was enough already, and he set about distracting him the best way he knew how.

They barely had time to get dressed before dinner, and Charles said, "For heaven's sake, we're not teenagers anymore," but he didn't sound too upset about it, frankly.

At dinner, Kitty said, "Professor Lehnsherr, I was thinking tomorrow I might try to make some latkes?"

"That sounds fine," Erik said.

Kitty hesitated and said, "I mean, I've helped my family make them before, but I haven't ever made them by myself. Do you think you could maybe help? I mean, if you want to?"

"Certainly," Erik said, and he could feel Charles glowing with happiness. Charles loved it when Erik appeared to enjoy spending time with the students. It was true, anyway, that Kitty was the student he could best tolerate. She generally seemed to have a good head on her shoulders.

The next day, however, he was surprised when Kitty burst into tears over a bowl of shredded potatoes.

"Sorry," she sniffed. "It's just the onions."

"Ah... we haven't peeled the onions yet," Erik said, and Kitty cried harder. Erik hesitantly put an arm around her. "Is anything the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," she said. Erik waited and she said, "It's just, this is my first Chanukah away from my parents. And it's--it's like 90 degrees out. And the--" she sniffed, and Erik handed her a paper towel. "Nothing, it's dumb. I mean it's nice that we get to have our school here and stuff." She seemed to be calmer.

"It will take some getting used to," Erik acknowledged. Telepathically, he told Charles, _Help_.

Charles sent back mental laughter. _I'm sure you can handle this, love. She just needs a calm adult and some part of familiar traditions. Save a latke for me. I'll be there in a bit._

Finally, Kitty stopped crying, and they got to work on frying huge quantities of latkes. Though none of the other students at the school observed Chanukah, Erik had long ago learned that most goyim loved fried potatoes.

By sundown, they had a heaping pile of latkes staying warm in the oven, and Erik and Kitty went to the living room, where Erik had set out the menorah.

They lit the shammus candle and quietly recited, "Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik neir shel Chanukah," honoring a G-d Erik didn't really believe in and a holiday that wasn't terribly important to him. Still, he enjoyed the ritual, and it clearly meant something to Kitty.

After the candles burned out, Kitty's friends joined them in the kitchen for latkes laden with applesauce and sour cream. They'd gone through about half the pile of potato pancakes when they heard the dorm's front door open.

"Mm-mm, something smells délicieux!" a heavily-accented voice called. Erik fought back a sigh, but Rogue looked delighted. She ran back into the living room, half a latke still in her hand.

"Remy, you dumb swamp rat, you didn't tell me you were coming to visit!" she yelled.

They re-entered the kitchen, accompanied by Ororo.

"Well, I didn't know myself," Remy said. "But when Remy's sister asks him to be her co-pilot, how can he say no, even at the last minute?"

Ororo smiled in greeting and said, "Hello, everyone."

"Ro! Do you want a latke? Here," Kitty said, pushing a plate to her.

"I s'pose there wouldn't be none left for poor ol' Remy," Remy said mournfully.

"Oh, sure, sorry," said a flustered Kitty. She passed him the serving plate and he grinned.

"That's more like it."

Remy and Ororo ate their fill and caught up with the rest of the students. Charles joined them, looking adorably smug.

"So," Ororo finally said. "A little birdie told me that some of you aren't a fan of tropical weather for the holidays."

Kitty's eyes shone. "Oh, Ro, can you make it snow for us? Just a little?"

Remy feigned horror. "You mean to say some of y'all actually want snow?" He shuddered.

"It just doesn't feel like Chanukah without it," Kitty sighed.

"Or Christmas!" Kurt added.

"This feels like December in New Orleans," Remy said. "Well, maybe a _little_ warmer. Just about perfect, if you ask me."

"Well, nobody asked you," Rogue said, slapping his arm lightly.

"I agree, really," Ororo said. "There was snow in New York when we left, and I cannot say I miss it..." Erik watched as Kitty's face visibly fell, and Ororo continued, "... but I do not mind doing favors for friends."

"Yay!" Kitty said.

"You had better put on something warmer," Ororo said.

"Ro, any way you can focus this cold front away from the pool?" Remy asked.

"You are all making too many demands on Mother Nature," Ororo sighed.

"Remy's just scared of losing to me in a snowball fight," Rogue said.

"Excuse me?" Remy said, looking comically offended.

"Well, if you ain't scared, you'd better be out there with me when it starts to snow."

 _Ah, young love,_ Erik thought at Charles.

Charles, possibly missing but more likely ignoring the sarcasm, replied, _Isn't it touching?_

So they all dug out their scarves and hats and stood out on the lawn while Ororo whipped up a light snow. Rogue and Remy chased each other around with snowballs, and Kitty and the other students made some elaborate snowmen and snowwomen. Erik stood behind Charles, watching the snow settling on the palm trees and the students at play.

"Does it feel like Chanukah now?" Charles asked.

Erik smiled. "You know, it does. But now I'm forced to remember what the cold does to my joints these days."

Charles nodded solemnly. "So perhaps it will be for the best when all this snow melts in half an hour."

"I suppose it might be," Erik agreed.

"Before that happens, though, why don't you take some photos?"

"Are these for the school recruitment brochure?"

"Just for my scrapbook, love." Erik couldn't say no to Charles's affectionate tone, so he went inside for the camera. By the time he made his way back out with it, most of the snow was starting to melt, and Ororo was getting tired. She mustered up another light dusting and Erik took some photos. Before long, everyone was standing around a muddy yard and the scarves were no longer necessary.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but Remy's heading to the pool now," Remy announced. There was general assent, and before long someone was playing Christmas songs on an iPod dock and the kids were playing volleyball in the pool.

Erik and Charles got changed as well, but they took over the outdoor hot tub. Seated in the warm water, they incongruously listened to "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Charles leaned against Erik's side and gave a blissful sigh as the jets kicked on.

"All right," Erik said. "I concede that this is rather preferable to December in New York."

Charles smiled beatifically. "I knew I could bring you around to my point of view."


End file.
